Germany and the fuss over the ‘idiot’s apostrophe’

‘Now it’s official,’ the German press lamented, ‘the idiot’s apostrophe is correct.’ The Council for German Orthography, the body that regulates German spelling and grammar, has relaxed the rules on when and how apostrophes can be used to show possession. What seems like a matter for grammar pedants has fuelled angst for the very future of the German language.

The issue itself isn’t new. Unlike English, German doesn’t traditionally use apostrophes to show possession. So Uncle Tom’s Cabin, for example, becomes Onkel Toms Hütte in the German translation. But this rule has long been eroded. It’s common to find places like ‘Tina’s Wolllädchen’ – ‘Tina’s Little Wool Shop’ – which should be ‘Tinas Wolllädchen’ according to the old rules.

Though the English-style apostrophe is already in widespread use, it’s met with derision by those who consider themselves guardians of the German language. Teachers, journalists and writers refer to it as the ‘Deppen-Apostroph’ – the idiot’s apostrophe.